Human and animal attacks by pit bulls/bully breeds listed by State and by Country. Updated daily because the maulings and fatalities are daily.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON ATTACKS SINCE 11/13/09

Dec. 7, 2009http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=94635&catid=187 WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- A woman is in critical condition after being attacked by a pit bull Sunday afternoon in Northwest Washington. Metro Police said the attack occurred about 5:30 p.m. in the 3500 block Quebec Street. It's unclear if the woman, who was transported to a local hospital, was familiar with the dog. Police said the dog's owner was cited by Animal Control. The dog, a male named Kane, was shot by a Metro Police officer and wounded. Animal Control removed the dog from the scene and reported it would not release information until Monday. No other injuries were reported. TOO BAD THE OFFICER WAS A LOUSY SHOT.

March 24, 2010http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/dc-girl-recovers-from-pit-bull-attack-032410WASHINGTON, D.C. - The 12-year-old girl's left cheek is covered with a bandage, hiding the bite a pit bull took out of her face. On Tuesday, she was walking down a D.C. street with her friend less than a block from her home when suddenly a pit bull attacked her. The girl is recovering from home now, but is still in pain. Her face is slightly swollen and she had several stitches from the bite. Neighbor Louise Harrington saw the girl right after the attack."A pit bull," Harrington said "it can attack, attack anybody." Another neighbor who is a nurse helped bandage the girl up until an ambulance arrived and took her to Children's Hospital. She and her mother would not talk Wednesday on the advice of their lawyer. Police and animal control captured the pit bull nearby. The girl says she was near Chesapeake and 6th Street Southeast when the dog suddenly came at her, knocked her down and then bit her face."It's kind of dangerous, kind of bad. I have a child that age. So that's not good at all," said Dana Offutt who lives across the street. This is the second pit bull attack this week in the Washington area. On Monday, a toddler in Frederick was also bitten in the face by the family pit bull. Police called it an "accidental biting." A report by dogbites.org found in 2009 pit bulls accounted for 44 percent of all deadly dog attacks. Just last August, a 20-year-old Leesburg man was mauled to death by the family's two pit bulls. Then a year ago, an Anne Arundel County man attacked by one had to get more than a hundred stitches. Scott Giacoppo with the Washington Humane Society says these attacks don't mean pit bulls are inherently dangerous."We have a pit bull that takes care of orphaned animals as a foster mom. We have a lot of wonderful pit bulls out there but it's a stigma that's attached to them," said Giacoppo. If a dog comes at you, animal experts say fight the instinct to run."Running will only make the dog chase you and when they chase you it's a predator prey thing," Giacoppo said. Animal control caught up with the pit bull after the attack wandering the neighborhood. It doesn't appear aggressive but some would rather play it safe. Harrington believes the dogs are dangerous. "I think so," she said, "My son wanted one. I told him no." Animal experts say never look a dog in the eye it's like a challenge. If a dog does attack, curl up in a ball and cover your head with your arms to protect vital organs. A dog may bite you a few times, but experts say typically they will go away. D.C. animal control impounded the pit bull and they have tracked down its owner. If an investigation finds the dog is dangerous, it could be euthanized. The owner would have 15 days to appeal. ME THINKS SCOTT IS DRINKING THE KOOLAID OF NO KILL AND PITS GET A BAD RAP.